


Unspoiled

by cauldronofdoom



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: 5+1 Things, AvengerKink Fill, M/M, flirting fail, rejection fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-17
Updated: 2012-09-17
Packaged: 2017-11-14 11:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/514633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cauldronofdoom/pseuds/cauldronofdoom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For all eveyone assumes he gets everything he wants, Tony isn't exactly unfamiliar with the concept of rejection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unspoiled

1\. Maria Hill  
“Is that jumpsuit standard issue? Seriously, are you just insanely lucky enough to look awesome in a regulation uniform?”

Maria Hill sighed heavily and looked at the man who’d just invaded her helicarrier (even Fury couldn’t get out of Grandma’s birthday every year). “Did you want something, Stark?”

The playboy genius gave her a once over that was too friendly to be uncomfortable, but would still have caused a less highly-trained individual to blush. “Dinner?”

She snorted. “Why do I get the feeling you’re implying far more than a meal?”

“How should I know?” He gave her an innocent look and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. “I don’t read my own press.”

She could tell from the glint in his eyes that he noticed the slight upwards tick of her lips. “Just so you know, the last person who couldn’t take a ‘no’ from me still hasn’t been found.”

He grinned then, not at all put out by her obvious rejection, and put his hands up placatingly. “Okay, okay, I got the message. You didn’t actually have to pull out the sledgehammer.” He retreated to one of the chairs at the observation/conference table and pulled out his tablet. “Don’t mind me, there’s just a dearth of skin-tight blue jumpsuits in my lab. I’ll be quiet.”

Back in Black blasted through the PA system, and Maria stalked over and grabbed his tablet out of his hands. “JARVIS, mute.” The music died away as suddenly as it had come on.

Tony gave her a totally unrepentant, shit-eating grin. “Music counts as quiet.”

There was laughter from behind her, and it took all her control to keep from grinning at his antics herself. He didn’t need the encouragement.  
*  
2\. Rhodey  
“Honeybear, muffincakes, sour patch, gumdrop.”

“No, Tony.”

“You didn’t even let me finish, sugarplum.”

“I’ve been your friend for years. I don’t have to let you finish to know anything preceded by that much sweet-talk is a bad idea.”  
*  
3\. Natasha  
Tony gulped at his water like a dying man, eyes still trained on the assassin who had just so thoroughly kicked his ass in the ring. “You look awesome in those yoga pants.” He tossed out, truly meaning nothing more than an off-handed compliment about a truth.

Natasha shot him a small grin, meaning she understood. “Careful, Tony. It’s still an awful big legal tangle to hit on me.”

Understanding didn’t mean she couldn’t play too.

“You don’t work for me, it’s fine. Besides, you like Pepper too much to sue me.” He shot her a saucy wink alongside the comment. 

“Oh, it’s not the sexual harassment lawsuit. It’s handling the will once we hide the body and convince them you’re dead anyway. Clint would never forgive me if I made him help and didn’t at least get him a tv out of it.” She was still working on the heavy bag she’d moved to after wearing Tony out, seemingly ignoring him.

“Why the hate, love? That’s harsh.” He pouted and clutched his chest in mock hurt. “I’m just offering.”

She paused and cocked her head to the side. “Why would I take you up on that? You can’t even keep up with me in the gym, why would I waste time I could spend actually sleeping on getting put to sleep?”  
*  
4\. Steve  
“Aww, he’s blushing again! You are just too cute, sweetcheeks.” Tony reached out to pinch the pink skin covering Steve’s face, only to be swatted away by a hastily backing up Captain America.

“Stop, Tony.” Steve said, voice firm and eyes direct. “I get that people are more demonstrative in this century, but you’re making me uncomfortable. Stop.”

Tony put up his hands in surrender and turned his teasing on Bruce instead.

Steve caught up with Tony in the hallway later, running his hand through his hair in discomfort. “I didn’t necessarily phrase that the best earlier. I wanted to apologize.”

Tony shot him an incredulous look. “You have every right to tell me to knock off any behaviour that makes you uncomfortable, Steve, you know that. You don’t have to apologize.”

Steve still looked a little nervous. “I know, but I didn’t mean to imply that I thought you would do anything improper or whatnot, just that…” He trailed off, not sure where to go from there. Tony clapped a hand to his shoulder in a very platonic, masculine touch.

“Steve, it’s fine. I’m a little more tactile than you, and I tease. It’s just how I am. If I make you uncomfortable, I need you to speak up like you did. I can’t know where your boundaries are if you don’t tell me. Trust me, it’s better for everyone if you just say ‘stop’ when I need to.” He gave Steve’s shoulder a slight shake for emphasis, and returned the grin he got for it unhesitatingly.   
*  
5\. Betty  
“Why, hello there, gorgeous!”

“The name’s Betty, I’m here to see Bruce, and that’s your one free pass. Next time you ogle me, it won’t go as well for you.”

He laughed and gestured her into the tower with a flourish. “Dr. Ross, I think this might just be the start of a beautiful friendship. You’ll like Natasha, too. C’mere. Brucie’s hiding down in the labs. Candyland, I swear…”  
*  
(Tony’d learned early on that a lack of boundaries meant either lack of concern for him and his plans or a greater ambition that he was just a step towards. Anyone unwilling to stand their ground usually wasn’t even worth the effort it took to walk over them.)  
*  
+1 Clint  
“Sweaty soldiers in skin-tight outfits. Why didn’t I start working with SHIELD earlier? I swear, the Air Force only ever gave me Rhodey, who is awesome but regrettably straight, and the army got chucked out by the ear after my first run-in with General Ross. I love the sleeveless uniform, have I said? Not that Natasha and Maria and even Galaga guy don’t look awesome in those onesies, but your arms are worthy of all sorts of prizes, and it’s be a shame to cover them up.” Clint laughed, cutting off Tony’s babble. They were in the archery range on his floor, the genius having showed up just at the end of Clint’s daily hour of shooting. Not that he didn’t often spend longer down here, but that was his personal, non-mission minimum. 

“If you want my bow,” He said, turning to face his friend with a grin, “It’s a definite no. You can play with making me a better one, but this one has been with me for years and you don’t get to pull it apart. If you’re looking for a friendly, no-strings tumble, on the other hand, my room’s two down on the left.”

Tony’d face had sported childish and exaggerated pouting which was quickly replaced with glee as he considered Clint’s words. He obviously hadn’t intended for the comments to be taken seriously. “No strings? Just fun?”

“Just sex. No strings.” He toyed briefly with his bowsting, drawing Tony’s attention back to the weapon. “Else you’d never shut up about this, and then I’d have to shoot you. It would upset JARVIS, though, and he controls my shower settings. Plus Pepper wouldn’t like it, and she’s scarier than any of us by a long shot.”


End file.
